Rohtang Permits : Do you need permits for Motorcycles too?

August 14, 2016

Ever since the whole concept of obtaining a permit to either visit or cross over Rohtang was started by NGT, it has more or less become a hassle for everyone travelling in that direction, either for the purpose of visiting Rohtang or to cross it over towards Ladakh or Spiti. Now we know that these permits are definitely required for a four wheeler but a big question is do you need Rohtang permits for motorcycles as well? It is probably one of the most frequent questions I have been asked so far in this year so here is a little information on the topic for anyone planning to go towards Ladakh via Manali.

Rohtang Permits for Motorcycles

Do you need Rohtang Permits for Motorcycles?

First of all, the answer to the question is yes you do need to obtain a permit to cross over Rohtang even if you are on a motorcycle. It does not really matter if you are on a rented or self-owned motorcycle, you will need to obtain the permit nonetheless.

How do you obtain Rohtang Permits?

Second question is how do you obtain the permit? Currently, there are two kinds of permits being issued. First one is a permit for travelling till Rohtang Pass and the second one is to travel beyond Rohtang pass towards Ladakh or Spiti. These permits are issued at SDM office at Manali which is open from 10 am to 5 pm except Sunday and second Saturday of the month. On these days, the office is open only until noon.

How long you will take to get the permits depends on how many people are there in the queue. If there is no one else except you, the entire process should not take more than 15 minutes however it is safe to assume that you will find a long queue in peak season so better to keep a day just for this purpose. Obtain the permits, stay in Manali for the day if it took you long enough and be on your way towards Rohtang the next day. If you were able to obtain the permits say by 11 AM, then yes, you can think about crossing Rohtang on the same day but be prepared for a possible traffic jam towards the top of the pass.

There is also an online portal for the permits but it is currently only available for four wheeler going only until Rohtang. There is no online facility for motorcycles or four wheeler going beyond Rohtang.

In order to obtain the permit, you will need to produce your driver’s license, your vehicle’s RC and pollution certificate. Keep in mind though that vehicle over 10 years old will not be allowed to travel towards Rohtang. For motorcycles, the bar is set at 15 years or older. The rule book says that you will also need to prove that you are planning to cross Rohtang and not just travelling until the top but this is not always the case. Several of my friends visited Ladakh this year and none of them had to submit this. I am not sure if this is actually an exception for motorcycles but just to be on the safer side, keep some kind of proof like a hotel booking confirmation handy.

Rule book also says that documents will have to be submitted between 10 am to 1 pm at least a day in advance and permits will be issued between 3 to 5 pm but this also may not be applied. I haven’t come across anyone so far who travelled to Leh on a motorcycle and had to wait a day to get the permits. Usually you will get the permit the same day and actually at the same time after you submitted your documents, depending on how long the queue is. There is no fee for motorcycle riders to obtain these permits.

Do you need Rohtang Permits if you are coming to Manali from other side of Rohtang?

One last thing to add here is that you only need these permits if you are going from Manali towards Rohtang. If you are coming from the other side though and crossing Rohtang to reach Manali, then there is no permit applicable.

I hope this information was helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment and ask and I would be glad to answer. Also, please feel free to add more on the topic in the comments section in case I missed adding some information here or if any of the information above is no longer valid.

Rohtang Permits : Do you need permits for Motorcycles too? was last modified: October 24th, 2016 by Vargis.Khan

Glad to have found this awesome post.
I read the post fully but was getting confused.
I would be thankful if I could get help on our bike trip for June 10th 2017

We are a couple. We will parcel our bike 14 year old Yamaha Enticer from Hubli to Chandigarh by train. Then start our bike trip from Chandigarh on 10th June 2017
We plan to reach Manali by evening if possible. So we will begin our Manali-Leh bike trip on 12th June.
We are carrying every possible thing with us and we want to do self camping in our tents.
Only in Manali we want to stay in a hotel. Rest all places we want to self camp.
Also we want to reach Leh from Manali in 2-3 days if possible or you can suggest.
Now we need a detailed itinerary for our trip from Manali to Leh with the following information:
1. When and by what time should we reach each place on our route?
2. What all permits and docs are required for us and where should we get them? Please name them so that it will be easy for us to get them.
3. What are all the self camping places along our route including Leh? We leave Manali on 12th June. We want to night camp on 12th and 13th night. And we want to reach Leh on 14th by noon. Can you suggest us the specific names of places where we can camp on 12th night and 13th night?

Hi Naveen – From Manali, you can reach Jispa by evening easily and camp there by the river. Do not camp just anywhere though. There are a couple of camp sites there. Pay them a little money and ask them to show you a secluded spot, away from their camps.

Next day you can camp at either Pang or Sarchu.

3rd day you will be in Leh.

Regarding camping, please read the article below for more information.